<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>It's All Love by MarcellusMiro66</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24312715">It's All Love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarcellusMiro66/pseuds/MarcellusMiro66'>MarcellusMiro66</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Trolls (2016), Trolls: The Beat Goes On (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action, Action &amp; Romance, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Adventure &amp; Romance, Awkward Romance, Declarations Of Love, Dorks in Love, Drama, Drama &amp; Romance, Eventual Romance, Falling In Love, Family, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Family Issues, Family Secrets, Fluff and Humor, Friendship/Love, Gallows Humor, Humor, Idiots in Love, Inspired by Music, Love, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, Love at First Sight, Music, Musical References, Musicals, Psychological Drama, Puppy Love, Romance, Slow Romance, Teen Romance, Teenage Drama, Young Love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:54:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,660</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24312715</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarcellusMiro66/pseuds/MarcellusMiro66</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Following the events of Trolls World Tour, the six primary Troll Kingdoms attempt to work and live in harmony while different kinds of Trolls are discovered. Of course, that's easier said than done.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Branch/Queen Poppy (Trolls), DJ Suki/King Trollex, Tresillo/Wani (Trolls)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> <em>("<span class="u">It's All Love (History Of Funk)</span>" -  George Clinton, Mary J. Blige, &amp; Anderson .Paak)</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Intro: Anderson .Paak]</em>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Oh, oh</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>(Oh-oh-oh) Oh, (Oh-oh-oh) oh (Hey, yeah)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>(Oh-oh-oh) Oh, (Oh-oh-oh) oh (Let's go)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Yeah, yeah, uh</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Verse 1: Anderson .Paak]</em>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>We started off a team</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Party 'til we fall asleep</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Even on the street, when we disagreed</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>We did it on beat (Did it on beat)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Expected unique (Right), anything less, it was weak</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>The music of the strings made life complete (Facts)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>'Til that one day they changed everything</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>The Pop Trolls started snatchin' up all of the strings (Oh no)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Put the melodies on top of poppy lil' beats</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>They cut us out of the scene</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>And then forgot what it really means (Not even publish us)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Shoulda seen between all of the scheming</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>It seems like the Trolls they stole from were meaningless</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Walkin' around like they were the geniuses</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>But it's only samples, autotune and remixes (No, lawd)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>I'm a vegan, I don't have no beef with them (No, lawd)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Gotta protect my kingdom</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>But the dream is to sing again (Yes, yes)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Being friends, seamless blend</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Harmony ain't hard when the keys within you win</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Chorus: Anderson .Paak]</em>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>First, it was all love (At first, it was all love)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Hands up, super star love (Stars up)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>That you can have it, you can have it all, love (And you can get it how you want)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>But then you took it, took it all, love (They took it all)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>All, love</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Turn it up louder (Turn the music up louder)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Sing along, get the crowd up (Get the crowd up, come on)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>But then you took it all, love (Took it all, love)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Then forgot all about us (Oh), but it's all love</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>[Post-Chorus: Anderson .Paak &amp; Mary J. Blige]</em>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>I feel you</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Sounds good in my ear when I hear it like that</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>I feel you</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>I say I look good to the mirror and it says it right back</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>I feel you</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>A little love wouldn't kill you</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>You really did me wrong, it was real cruel (It was real cruel)</em> </strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Had a lot of love and I still do 'cause I feel you</em> </strong>
</p><p><em>[Outro: Anderson .Paak]</em><br/><strong> <em>Next morning, the elders were on me (Man)</em> </strong><br/><strong> <em>They saw the warning signs, couldn't ignore it (Look)</em> </strong><br/><strong> <em>Had to figure out how to save the way of life they had made</em> </strong><br/><strong> <em>So they made a play</em> </strong><br/><strong> <em>The Pop Trolls were comin' for it all (Ah, ah)</em> </strong><br/><strong> <em>All for one and one for all (Ah)</em> </strong><br/><strong> <em>So the only way we saw, how we saw it</em> </strong><br/><strong> <em>It was one thing left to be done (What?)<br/></em> </strong> <strong> <em>Each leader grabbed a single string and said, "Run!"</em> </strong></p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <em>This was the 19th time she listened to this particular song.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Or was it the 25th?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sighing in mild frustration, she leaned back in her chair and hummed the song under her breath as she continued painting a portrait of...well, nobody knew what it was supposed to be or what it represented. It was a slew of different colors meticulously painted alongside each other in straight and horizontal lines. On top of those lines were a pair of reverse swirl patterns drawn together with the same meticulous restraint. It gave off a decidedly kaleidoscopic feel that could put one in a hypnotic trance. That one may be forgiven for giving the painting a thoughtful analysis over its true meaning and the themes behind it.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The funny thing is, the portrait that was being painted never held any significance beneath. It just symbolized a period of painter's block.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Harper wiped paint from her hands on her apron before heading over the sink to wash them. Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, she frowned at her mismatched eyes and recalled a special memory that held a special place in her heart. From what she remembered, her mother called her condition "heterochromia iridium". It was a coloration difference of the eye's iris but can be applied to hair or skin. According to her, there were three kinds of heterochromia: central, sectoral, and complete. In central heterochromia, a ring of different color was visible near the border of a Troll's pupil. In sectoral heterochromia, a single fragment of the iris was a different color from the rest. In complete heterochromia, one iris was a completely different color from the other. One could guess which camp the Maker Troll fell in.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>On the topic of "special memories", reminders of her early childhood reared their ugly heads as she attempted to block them. She was rarely bullied because of her condition, but it didn't mean all the questions wouldn't come to mess with her head. There were many questions that surfaced and resurfaced for a variety of different reasons, ranging from genuine curiosity to pure malice. Through them all, she had her kind and understanding mother to rely on. She was her hero, her idol, her shooting star...whose light went out the day she died. Oddly enough, a few of her "tormentors" were just some of the many who attended her funeral and even expressed their sympathies for the grieving girl. By then, though, it was too little too late; she had alienated the rest of her friends and become distant, aloof, and cynical as a result. However, a small flicker of hope remained, which she believed was essential in her mild prevention of color loss much like Branch, Queen Poppy, and the rest of the Trolls when they were captured by Bergens.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ugh, Creek. Another..."special memory". He was certainly one for the history books. He would be remembered as nothing more than a hypocrite, a coward, and a traitor to his own kind. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Curse you, Creek. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Screw you, Creek. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Damn you, Creek.</em>
</p><p><em>Brushing her teeth instead before washing her hands, Harper got ready for bed despite the time being 6:00 in the evening. She had a long few days ahead of her, so one couldn't really blame her. </em> <em>By her own admission, the decision was still ridiculous. As she fell to sleep, her mind circled back to that damned song.</em></p><p>
  <em>'<strong>First, it was all love (First, it was love)</strong><br/><strong>Hands up super star love (Hands up superstar love)</strong><br/><strong>That you can have it, you can have it all, love</strong><br/><strong>(You can get it how you want)</strong><br/><strong>But then you took it took it all, love</strong><br/><strong>All love</strong><br/><strong>Turn it up louder (Turn the music up)</strong><br/><strong>Sing along get the crowd up (Oh, get the crowd up)</strong><br/><strong>But then you took it all, love (Took it all, love, come on)</strong><br/><strong>Then forgot all about us but it's all love...</strong>'</em>
</p><hr/><p><em>A few miles from Pop Village, </em> <em>Archer Pastry was forging a sword after sharpening several pieces of stray sticks he picked up in the forest. This sword was made with an anvil, forge, hammer, tongs, cutting torch, belt grinder, belt sander, sandpaper, drawknife, linseed oil, files, and piles of scrap metal stolen from Branch's bunker, among other required material. Said scrap metal would be enough for 12 swords and 21 knives if he was fortunate and resourceful. However, the Party Crasher and his kind in general weren't particularly adept when it came to luck, good or bad. The universe's opinion of them was sporadic at best, granting them the most satisfying victories or the most humiliating defeats whenever it desired, going so far as bring them dangerously close to death's door on numerous occasions. Somehow, someway, they managed to dodge a bullet once in a while and come out on top, but Archer worried that one day their luck would run out just like that.</em></p><p>
  <em>When the day would come, his brother Bash would be the one to blame.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Huffing and puffing through the welding helmet, Archer realized the sword's construction was nearly complete. Pouring the molten metal into a sword-shaped mold, he closed it and began the casting process. The hardest part about that? The waiting part. It took about four or six hours for the metal to harden and, between those four or six hours, boredom reared its ugly head as he struggled to curb it. While his eyes idly glanced around his makeshift bunker taken from a page or two from the book of Branch, his brain took a vastly different mental trajectory.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It had been a few weeks (about to be a month) since the end of Queen Barb's world tour. He was unaware of her presence and identity until the very end when he learned that Queen Poppy sent an invitation that celebrated the union of the six primary Troll tribes: Pop, Funk, Classical, Techno, Country, and Rock. With the exception of Pop (the tribe Poppy and her friends belonged to), he wasn't sure what the other five detailed, let alone if he wanted to find out. Rock was a close enough choice with their harsh yet meaningful music and fierce fashion sense.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>'<strong>Hmm...</strong>'</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Archer got up and retrieved from his desk the following items: a mechanical pencil, three sheets of paper, and six different markers for six different groups. He didn't plan on interacting with every single one of them, but he didn't plan on looking like an idiot because he lacked even the most basic of knowledge of them, either. Pink was for Pop, Purple was for Funk, Gold was for Classical, Blue was for Techno, and Black was for Rock. Listing any known denizens and members of royalty for their separate parties, he had to abridge certain details in order to fill up the three sheets he had. Poppy was the Queen of Pop Village, Quincy and Essence were the King and Queen of Vibe City (their sons Cooper and Darnell were Princes), Trollzart was the King of Symphonyville, Trollex was the King of Techno Reef, Delta Dawn was the Mayor (and apparent Sheriff) of Lonesome Flats, and Barbara (sorry, Barb) was the Queen of Volcano Rock City.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Huh. What a tribe.</em>
</p><p><em>Suddenly remembering why he made the list in the first place (to pass time), Archer shot up from his seat and checked on his forged sword, which he dipped in cold water to complete the casting process. Once it was cooled down, he cut off any unnecessary spare parts, sharpened the blade, smoothed the hilt, and wrapped black electrical tape on the handle. Taking a moment to appreciate </em> <em>his work well done before setting it aside, his proud smile instantly reverted to a disappointed frown once he came to the realization that the process had be repeated for the rest of the metal.</em></p><p>
  <em>'<b>I'm falling to pieces...</b>'</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em> <strong>Dear Troll or Trolls, Pop Village invites you and your Tribe to the two-week-long "One Nation Under All Music" celebration! We are commemorating the unification of the six primary genres of music: Rock, Country, Techno, Classical, Funk, and us, Pop! There will be food, drinks, camaraderie, and above else, music! Because what is a party without some fine tunes? You don't need to answer that question because it was A) it was rhetorical and B) I won't be around to hear your response until you get here! The rest of the tribes and I can't wait to meet you! We can get along just fine, maybe even be best friends in the end!</strong> </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <strong>~ Sincerely, Queen Poppy of the Pop Trolls</strong> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>DJ Suki read for the letter for the 86th time before placing it down, flopping down onto her bed, and running her fingers through her hair. To say she was stumped would be an understatement.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Why didn't Poppy tell her that there were other kinds of Trolls out there sooner than later? And even then, why did she choose to tell her in writing rather than in person? To be fair, though, the letter wasn't exactly hers; the messenger, an anthropomorphic cloud of some sort, gave it to her on a whim while she was busy helping Queen Bridget and King Gristle with their Bergen rave. She couldn't refuse an opportunity to stretch out her DJ skills and experiment with new material. The Bergens were still getting used to the feeling of happiness, so she made the decision to appeal to their grumpy nature with gruff-sounding pop music that slowly transitioned to more happy-sounding music in order to mirror the long process they had to go through before realizing true happiness was within. Bridget and Gristle were both impressed by this, allowing her to go on through it; the decision proved to be a very smart one, resulting in high success for the parties involved.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was only when <strong>their</strong> party settled <strong><span class="u">theirs</span></strong> was announced.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cloud Guy had given DJ the invitation right in the middle of a conversation between her and the two rulers. DJ was courteous enough to let Bridget and Gristle finish sharing their ideas for the next rave before reading the invite, which caught the attention of them all. Reading the letter carefully at first, she was abruptly thrown into a flurry of emotions with every passing word. The couple caught notice of her confused state and asked what was wrong, but Suki unintentionally ignored them and retired to her room...where we are now.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>After running her fingers through her hair, Suki buried her face into her hands as a mild migraine began to build up in her head. This was just too much for her to bear. Other kinds of Trolls with other kinds of music? Why didn't Poppy tell her sooner? It would've made for one killer party! Of course, this Queen Barb had to go on ahead and wreck havoc wherever she came and went, one of the places being Troll Village...or <strong>Pop</strong> Village, whatever it was called now.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The idea of anything and everything changing in an instant both frightened and intrigued her. On one hand, it provided her a new challenge. See how everybody was coping to the new changes and help those who couldn't. On the other hand, what if she was the one who needed to cope? What if she was the one who needed help doing so? What if...everybody forgot about her?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>KNOCK-KNOCK!</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Derailed from her train of thought, Suki sat up and knew the King and Queen of Bergen Town would ask questions about her little outburst. She had to give them answers right away.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>'<strong>I swear one more time, and I'm going off the rails on the crazy train...</strong>'</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>As she engaged in target practice out in the desert, Meadow Spriggs examined her new weapon with care and curiosity. Labeled a firearm by the seller, specifically a rifle (or, more specifically, a lever-action rifle), it was described to breathe fire and spit metal. Firearms were apparently the hottest appliance on the market at the moment and, judging by the amount of money made and customers demanding, it was a <strong>very</strong> hot one. The total price wasn't too shabby, either, as it sold for at least 15 gold coins. When she saw it, surprise overtook her because she expected it to cost much more due to its rather complex and meticulously made nature. Appearances can be deceiving, one may think. Judging by the overall performance thus far, though, she considered it money well spent.</em>
</p><p><em>Her reason behind buying self-defense weapons came when she discovered that there were other kinds of Trolls in the Kingdom besides the ones residing in Troll Village...or, rather, <strong>Pop</strong> Village. Everyone calls it that now. Pop was one of the six primary musical genres right beside Funk, Classical, Techno, Country, and Rock. The last genre embarked on a world tour to destroy all music and declare their own as the vastly superior to rule them all. Thankfully, they ultimately didn't go through the "destroy-all-music" part permanently (Queen Poppy had smashed the guitar that held all six strings pertaining to their respective music) and all genres learned that differences mattered, but the very idea of another Troll Tribe wishing to destroy all music nonetheless scared her more than it should. Three days after the end of Queen Barb's world tour (which ironically took three days as well), she left Troll-no, <span class="u"><strong>Pop</strong></span>-Village without much fanfare to gather more information on whether or not there were more Trolls like them out there in hiding. </em> <em>Sure enough...</em></p><p>
  <em>When Meadow got the time, she compiled a list of the additional Trolls she observed and reported. There were the Smooth Jazz Trolls, the Reggaeton Trolls, the K-Pop Trolls, the Yodeler Trolls, the Hip-Hop Trolls, the Samba Trolls, and the Electro Swing Trolls to name a few. Of the seven groups listed, there were 11 confirmed members of the first four, two of whom were the leaders of their respective gangs. When encountering the Samba Trolls, there were discussions of an eighth Troll Tribe, but one who had garnered a reputation for being one of the most feared and loathed in the Kingdoms. According to the rulers, they had formed approximately around the same time as the six ancestral leaders, terrorizing the Kingdoms discreetly alongside the Bergens before they fled off into hiding. It would seem that after the events of Barb's world tour, they found it all too fitting to stage a comeback for the entire kingdom to bear witness.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Meadow reloaded the pieces of metal called bullets into the loading port, managing to squeeze in eight to ten. Remembering what the seller and the manual instructed her to do, she flipped off the safety switch behind the hammer spur and cocked the finger lever, aiming at her makeshift dummy...and proceeding to put more holes into the dummy than before.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>BANG!</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>BANG!</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>BANG!</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Lowering the rifle, Meadow flicked the safety switch back on and placed it down on the table that contained two more boxes of bullets, a pitcher of sweet tea, and a padlocked journal with a ballpoint pen nearby, both of which she picked up to continue her research. Wondering if her professional life often interfered with her personal life, she began to wonder if she were to be back in time for the Troll...Pop...Whatever Village celebration Poppy and the other tribe leaders had planned. All of their potential wasted on parties...when there are far greater uses. Glancing over her shoulder to find the town of Lonesome Flats surprisingly livlier than before, she solemnly sighed under her breath for she knew that her solemn sanctuary wasn't going to last. She had to leave and find a new...place to study. She was cursed as a nomad, doomed to walk the Earth for all eternity.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>'<strong>That's the way it goes when you're just born to die, I guess...</strong>'</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Harper couldn't sleep. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>No matter how much her blanket was wrapped around her body, no matter how hard her pillow was clamped above her head...</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Harper couldn't sleep.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sighing in resignation, Harper shot up from her bed and retrieved a clean apron from her closet. She set up her canvas, easel, and palette as she prepared to paint the former object red with the help of the latter objects. Taking a round and flats paintbrush, she stuck the latter behind her left ear and twirled the former in her right hand. She dipped the round into red paint and began working, humming to herself as she did.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>First, it was all love (First, it was love)<br/>Hands up super star love (Hands up superstar love)<br/>That you can have it, you can have it all, love<br/>(You can get it how you want)<br/>But then you took it took it all, love<br/>All love<br/>Turn it up louder (Turn the music up)<br/>Sing along get the crowd up (Oh, get the crowd up)<br/>But then you took it all, love (Took it all, love, come on)<br/>Then forgot all about us but it's all love...</em> </strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Harper woke up, it was 6:00 in the morning, far too early for her tastes.</p><p>When Harper woke up, she found herself on the floor, wrapped in her pajamas and apron.</p><p>When Harper woke up, her painting was complete and flawless, all in a night's work.</p><p>The painting in question was Troll Village with two sides: one brightened by the bright morning sun, the other illuminated by the luminous evening moon. Speaking of which, Harper had a good view of the village from where her pod was located; because she made the decision to position hers away, it was the only one not destroyed by the Rock Trolls when they invaded during their World Tour. It was in a very dark spot from the village, so she suspected nothing was amiss while she avoided capture. Unfortunately, not being captured also meant she missed quite possibly the biggest party in all of Trolldom. Pop, Funk, Classical, Techno, Country, and Rock all united in perfect harmony and created a rainbow bazooka across the entire kingdom...while the rest of the stowaways got left behind at either Bergen Town or Troll Village.</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <em><strong><span class="u">Pop</span></strong> Village. I clearly meant to say <strong><span class="u">Pop</span></strong> Village.</em>
</p><p>Harper sat up from the floor and glanced around, wondering if she had a <em>really</em> bad hangover. Dismissing the idea with a shake of the head, she got up and got dressed for the day. Donning her signature cream dress with small, circular light brown button and frontal pocket, she retrieved a brown leather satchel from her closet and five different bags of five different coins. Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, she confidently smiled to herself.</p><p>
  <em>Ready for today, more ready for tomorrow...</em>
</p><hr/><p>In his makeshift bunker, Archer practiced with his sword and underwent the traditional fencing tactics: parry, thrust, feint, riposte, flunge, and counterattack. He threw in a few slashes and stabs for good measure, but he repulsed the very idea of killing any living creature even if his life depended on it. He knew, though, that one day he would have commit that very sin if he was put on the line to save himself and those he cared about...if he had those to care for, that is. He blamed Bash for implanting this idea into his mindset, his older brother claiming that for his own good, he had to kill to survive. Still, he had to bear responsibility for acting weak and display weakness, and he himself knew this fact far too well.</p><p>
  <em>I will show them. I will show them <strong>all</strong>.</em>
</p><p>The clock chimed at 7:00, breaking Archer from his stance, both thoughtful and fighting. Deciding to pay a visit to Troll Village, he sheathed his new sword into his new scabbard and placed it down on his work table, going off to get dressed for today. Choosing a Pop Troll costume with bright blue hair, dark green skin, a brown jacket, and blue jeans, he retrieved a black backpack from his closet and his sheathed sword before heading to the platform. Pulling the lever that took him up, a smirk began to grow on his face.</p><p>
  <em>Time to pay my distant cousin a visit.</em>
</p><hr/><p>DJ woke with a start, unintentionally bumping her head on a lamp that was intentionally placed right there. Gently pushing the lamp out of the way, she got up from her bed and washed up for today. As her mind brainstormed additional ideas for the next party or two, it always circled back to the reveal that there were other Trolls out there besides the ones she knew. She felt excited, scared, and depressed all rolled into one. Depression eventually overtook the secondary emotions as the fear of her being forgotten by her friends was recalled. A small fire of hope still lingered, though.</p><p>
  <em>They wouldn't forget me. They're my friends, especially Poppy. Poppy wouldn't let the others forget about me...right?</em>
</p><p>Packing her belongings in two suitcases, DJ headed over to her Wooferbug, who chittered happily at her presence. Returning the sentiment and patting it on the head, her thoughts now trailed to her niece, who was currently residing with her three aunts while she was working.</p><p>
  <em>What about CJ? Would they forget about her too...or would she forget about them in turn?</em>
</p><p>Saving those thoughts for later on, DJ led her Wooferbug out of her room and headed to the throne room to bid Queen Bridget and King Gristle goodbye.</p><hr/><p>Thanking the workers for delivering her packages, Meadow watched them leave before opening the bags. Inside were three additional firearms with six boxes of ammunition, all of which were hunting weapons. While the first was a rifle she bought the first time around, it was something the sellers classified as a "sniper rifle", firearms designed for long-range shooting. The second two were known as "shotguns", firearms designed to be fired from the shoulder. Both carried slightly less ammunition than the rifles the did, but what it lacked in storage, it made up in sheer power. There were apparently five categories of the shotgun, but the ones she chose were the pump-action variant because she had gotten used to.</p><p>
  <em>If it ever came down to it, I wouldn't dare go down without a fight. I might as well take a page or two out of Branch's book. Oh, Branch... How is he doing? Him and <strong>Queen</strong> Poppy? How is the former Pop Princess adjusting to her new life as the Queen of all Music? No doubt that it was quite overwhelming for the both of them discover other kinds of music besides their own.</em>
</p><p>Shrugging to herself, Meadow gathered her belongings before realizing she needed a ride out of Lonesome Flats. Glancing around for any ideas, one arrived in the form of a dull pink-skinned troll with a plaid shirt, denim pants, and distinct green mustache that accompanied his indistinct green hair. The Deputy of Lonesome Flats felt his gaze meet hers, the owner bitting her bottom lip in uncertainty.</p><p>
  <em>Would Growley Pete mind? Probably...</em>
</p><hr/><p>"So...any questions?"</p><p>Poppy and Branch were hosting a council meeting with the other six tribe leaders, the first official meeting in fact. Barb, King Quincy, and Queen Essence were seated on one side; Trollex, Trollzart, and Delta Dawn were seated on the other. While the former was understandably thrilled by the beginning of the tribal conferences, the latter gave a warning that the first meeting was always the worst meeting, stating that the subjects discussed in the meeting were always boring before they got exciting. In retrospect, she probably wished she had heeded his warning.</p><p>"Yeah," Barb raised her hand before leaning back in her rolling chair, "What are we talking about again?"</p><p>The couple groaned and sighed (Poppy sighed, Branch groaned) before regaining their composure.</p><p>"Barb..." Poppy began gently, "We are here to discuss the various forms of communication for the first official meeting of the Troll Tribe leaders."</p><p>"And not just communication," Branch finished roughly, "We are also brainstorming the different methods of harmonious coordination that the leaders can undergo. Our performance at Volcano Rock City was just the beginning."</p><p>"Um... Branch?"</p><p>"Yes... Poppy?"</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>"Isn't that what I said?"</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Aren't communication and coordination the same thing?"</p><p>"No. <strong><em>Communication</em></strong> is the method of sharing ideas, <strong><em>coordination</em></strong> is the method of making those ideas real."</p><p>"Okay, you may have different definitions for communication and coordination, but to me, they are one and the same."</p><p>"Hey, lovebirds," Barb chuckled, "I knew what we were talking about already."</p><p>"You did?"</p><p>"Then why did you ask?"</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>"I just love messing with you two."</p><p>Poppy and Branch narrowed their eyes at Barb, who merely shrugged and continued her chuckle fest. Soon enough, Trollex and Delta Dawn joined in, prompting her cackling to continue even further than it already should. The trio only ceased upon noticing King Quincy, Queen Essence, and Trollzart giving them warning glares.</p><p>"Uh... Sorry."</p><p>"Like heck we are."</p><p>"Barb, Trollex, and Miss Delta, please. Poppy and Branch, continue."</p><p>"Actually, Queen Essence," Poppy laughed nervously, "we didn't get that far ahead of the difference between communication and coordination when planning last night."</p><p>"Why?" Barb tilted her head, "Were you two boinking last night?"</p><p>"Barb!"</p><p>"Oh my Goodness!"</p><p>"Git-r-done," Delta Dawn smugly chuckled under her breath.</p><p>"No, of course not!" Poppy and Branch waved their hands in innocence.</p><p>"Actually, I'm kinda curious," Trollex shamefully confessed, "Did you?"</p><p>The six tribe leaders stared at the Techno King in utter shock. Once she recovered, Barb gestured to Trollex for Poppy and Branch to answer his question.</p><p>"No, Trollex," Branch responded, "We didn't...<em>boink</em>."</p><p>"They did cuddle. They cuddled...<em>all</em>...<em>night</em>...<em>long</em>..."</p><p>Everybody felt their blood freeze and glance around in terror. Everybody except Branch and Poppy.</p><p>"Keith?"</p><p>Suddenly, her hair parted to reveal a small Pop Troll with light green skin, dark blue hair, matching eyes, a pair of purple shorts, and distinct eyelashes.</p><p>"Yes, Queen Poppy?"</p><p>"How long have you been...in my hair?" Poppy realized the rarity of that sentence.</p><p>"A while," Keith smiled despite this, "Long enough to know that your new friends are nice people in spite of their differences."</p><p>"So...three days?"</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>"Keith, you're not supposed to be here," Branch kindly explained like a father would to his son while he pulled Keith out of Poppy's hair, "This is a Royal Meeting between the tribe leaders."</p><p>"I didn't know that."</p><p>"But you just said you were in Poppy's hair for the entirety of the world tour."</p><p>"No, I said I was in Poppy's hair for <em>three days</em>. I don't know everything you guys do."</p><p>Barb shrugged and replied, "He does have a point."</p><p>With a smile, Keith hopped out and began making his way toward the front door to leave, but not before he turned to hug King Quincy and Queen Essence. "I love your music."</p><p>A sincere smile formed on the King and Queen of Funk's faces, which only grew as the young Pop Troll sing the chorus of a familiar tune on his way.</p><p>
  <em>Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah...</em>
</p><p>"Aw," Poppy swooned, "King Quincy, Queen Essence, you two have a potential protege in the making. Oh! Now that's a concept for our next meeting or two!" Poppy began jotting notes in a notebook she seemingly pulled out of midair.</p><p>"Eh, I don't know, but I think that kid was trolling us."</p><p>Barb' eyes widened at her unintentional joke and burst into a giggling fit again, Trollex chuckling along with her before meeting the amused gazes of the other tribe leaders sans Poppy and Branch.</p><p>"Err, sorry."</p><hr/><p>"Sorry for what?"</p><p>Harper was currently holding a hand and jagged piece of stick to the chest and throat of Archer Pastry, who was currently holding a hand and sword to the shoulder and stomach of Harper. Both were enlocked in a standoff of sorts just outside of Bergen Town, where Harper was attempting to buy more supplies for her painting. Archer, on the other hand, was attempting to buy supplies for his blacksmithing. Suspecting someone or <em>something</em> was following her all the way, Harper sharply turned around to pull her pursuer aside and hold her improvised weapon at the ready, only for the pursuer to pull out a vastly superior blade of his own. It became clear that he lacked the confidence to wield such a weapon, so she assumed this confrontation would be over before it even began.</p><p>"For the whole Party Crashing of Troll Village...err, Pop Village, whatever it's called now."</p><p>Her eyes first narrowing in confusion before widening in shock as she backed away in terror, Harper's grip on her sharpened piece of wood tightened.</p><p>"Archer?"</p><p>"Harper?"</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>"W-What... What are you doing here?"</p><p>"What are <em>you</em> doing here?"</p><p>"I asked you first. Where are your friends?"</p><p>"The Party Crashers are not my friends. Not anymore."</p><p>"No honor among thieves, huh?"</p><p>"They're not thieves, Harper. They just use up any and all party supplies their victims use before moving on."</p><p>"That's what a thief does, right?"</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>"Yeah. Fine."</p><p>"Good. So, if you're not running errands for the Party Crashers, I'm assuming you're running your own?"</p><p>"You assume correctly. I'm not disclosing any more details beyond that."</p><p>"All right. Come on."</p><p>"Wait, what makes you think I'm going with you?"</p><p>"You need money, and I have it. You have a sword, great for protection but bad for currency. You can't buy anything without money or with weapons."</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>"Ok then. What's the plan?"</p><p>"Simple. I lend you the money, you lend me the protection. We work each other's debts and go on their separate ways."</p><p>"And the plan <em>after that</em>?"</p><p>"I'll probably just wing it from there."</p><p>"You, a worrywart Maker Troll, winging it with the best material you have?"</p><p>"I'm <em>not</em> a worrywart. If I was, though, it would be better than a lying, backstabbing son of a Troll like you."</p><p>"Okay, first of all, that was all Bash's plan. I was just an accomplice."</p><p>"Specifically, his second-in-command and scout. Old habits never die, Archer."</p><p>"It qualifies as an accomplice, Harper. By the way, we're here."</p><p>"Don't change the subject on me."</p><p>"No, I'm serious. Look up."</p><p>Harper did what Archer instructed, her eyes shrinking into irises. Bergen Town was <em>a lot</em> more cleaner than she remembered.</p><p>"Huh."</p><p>"Told you."</p><p>Shooting him a death glare, Harper then rolled her eyes and took Archer by the hand, pulling him into the center of town in search of any establishments to fulfill their debts.</p><p>"Enjoy it while it lasts."</p><p>"Shut up."</p><hr/><p>Gia Grooves smoothed out her blue dress and slipped on her matching headband. Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, she contemplated on the recent turn of events that led her to this current position. When she first started out, she was a normal Glitter Troll living in the quaint little village of...Troll Village or Pop Village, as they're calling it nowadays. She always knew she had a purpose in life but she never did knew exactly what. That all changed when, following the events of Barb's world tour and in the midst of rebuilding Troll Village/Pop Village, she comforted a young Techno Troll who had lost her parents and offered to watch her until they came back. She never had experience with handling children up until that moment, but she processed the situation and adapted accordingly, which caught the attention of and impressed Queen Poppy. One interview and two practice routines later, Gia was made the official babysitter/day care owner of the young Trollings, both Pop and other.</p><p>Smiling bright like a diamond as her father instructed her (<em>"Smile, my dear. You know, you're never fully dressed without one..."</em>), Gia turned away to find her students piling in and pulled out the list she made in order of request:</p><ol>
<li>
<strong><em>Tiny Diamond<br/>Gender</em></strong><em>: Male</em><strong><em><br/>Tribe</em></strong><em>: Pop Trolls</em><strong><em><br/>Relatives</em></strong><em>: Guy Diamond (Father)</em><strong><em><br/>Additional Notes</em></strong><em>: Deep Voice, Considers Himself A "Hip-Hop" Troll</em>
</li>
<li>
<strong><em>Clampers Buttonwillow<br/>Gender</em></strong><em>: Female<br/></em><em><strong>Tribe</strong>: Country Troll<br/><strong>Relatives</strong>: Delta Dawn (Aunt)<br/><strong>Additional Notes</strong>: Nice Teeth, Idolizes Her Aunt Delta<br/></em>
</li>
<li><em><strong>Coral Blush</strong><br/><strong>Gender</strong>: Male<br/><strong>Tribe</strong>: Techno Troll<br/><strong>Relatives</strong>: Kelpy (Mother), Seagrass (Father)<br/><strong>Additional Notes</strong>: He So Precious, Excited By Rock And Roll</em></li>
<li><em><strong>Jackson</strong><br/><strong>Gender</strong>: Female<br/><strong>Tribe</strong>: Rock Troll<br/><strong>Relatives</strong>: Unknown<br/><strong>Additional Notes</strong>: Admires Queen Barb (Duh), Confused Her For A Him</em></li>
<li><em><strong>Maurice<br/>Gender</strong>: Male<br/><strong>Tribe</strong>: Funk Troll<br/><strong>Relatives</strong>: Unknown<br/><strong>Additional Notes</strong>: Sees Cooper As A Personal Hero (Prince D Is A Close Second)</em></li>
<li>
<em><b>Joseph<br/>Gender</b>: Male</em><br/><em><strong>Tribe</strong>: Classical Troll</em><br/><em><strong>Relatives</strong>: Unknown</em><br/><em><strong>Additional Notes</strong>: Appreciates Orchestral Pop/Baroque Pop</em>
</li>
</ol><p>Besides the fact that more and more children would be sent into the day care, Gia also knew she couldn't handle that many all by herself. She would need help. As if on cue, a fellow Glitter Troll cartwheeled into the establishment. Like the rest of them, he was naked by choice, but he was also considerably pink. As in his hair was a dark pink and his skin was a light pink.</p><p>"Hello, fellow Glitter Troll! Is this the Troll Village Day Care?"</p><p>"Um, that's not the official name, but yes, it is. Who are you?"</p><p>"Call me Arabesque! I am your new assistant! Whenever I feel sad, mad, or glad, I rather not <em>talk</em> about it! I'd rather <em>dance</em> about it!"</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>"Good for you, I guess."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just for context, the Party Crashers story arc did take place in my story but with a few discernible differences: those events take place before the events of "World Tour", Creek never appeared due to his death in the first movie, and Archer is on the run after defecting from the Party Crashers. In addition, none of the events in "The Beat Goes On" besides the Party Crashers story arc happened, so most of the characters who are/were from TBGO will make their debut here.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Why did I do this?"</p><p>DJ Suki did wish King Gristle and Queen Bridget goodbye as she headed back to Troll Village, but now she was wishing she could stay a little longer in Bergen Town. It wasn't that she didn't want to go back to her old home, in fact she missed it something awful. It was just that...the idea of confronting her friends living in said home and seeing how much they've changed scared her to the point where she didn't want to at all. Adding to that, the King and Queen were understanding to her situation when she explained herself and the letter she received, telling her that she could stay or visit as long as she needed or wanted. Suki knew that running from her problems instead of facing them head-on wasn't the best solution, however, so she thanked Bridget and Gristle for their hospitality before leaving the castle. Right now, she was beyond the city limits of Bergen Town and heading back the direction of Troll Village.</p><p>"Because you're afraid of yourself."</p><p>The problem is, DJ forgot where the route to Troll Village was. It was a while since she last visited.</p><p>"Where do I go from here...?"</p><hr/><p>"You should probably start there first."</p><p>Harper looked in the direction Archer was pointing to find the castle King Gristle and Queen Bridget resided in.</p><p>"Um, why?"</p><p>"Because it's quite possibly the largest building in this godforsaken place."</p><p>"No, why did you say <em>"You should probably start there first"</em> when we already visited every store and shop in Bergen Town? Plus, I already know the castle is the biggest place here; it's a castle."</p><p>"Don't you ever think the King and Queen were trying to compensate?"</p><p>"For what?"</p><p>"I don't know, something."</p><p>"Enlighten me why this was a good idea, let alone consider it to be."</p><p>Harper walked ahead of Archer, who followed behind and failed to realize what he had said until they reached the front entrance. Placing their whole weight onto the double doors to push them open, they both fell down a few inches from each other face-first onto the ground. Groaning in pain and pulling themselves up, they brushed off the dust off their clothes and approached with caution upon seeing the concerned King and Queen watching on with curiosity.</p><p>"Oh! Harper, is that you?"</p><p>"Yes, Queen Bridget. I'm actually glad you remembered me."</p><p>"Uh, who is that?" King Gristle sat up in his throne as he stared them down hard, particularly a now nervous Archer. Fortunately, Harper stepped in and introduced herself in lieu of her partner.</p><p>"King Gristle, I was one of the Trolls who were apparently captured but actually wasn't. My name is Harper, and I'm a Maker Troll, a subdivision of the Pop Trolls."</p><p>"Ah! Pop Trolls! Like... Like Queen Poppy and Twig, right?"</p><p>"It's Branch," Harper corrected, elbowing Archer when he stifled a chuckle, "And yes. Poppy just sent us to Bergen Town to check up on you two and your subjects."</p><p>"That's sweet of her! I need to write a letter when I can! It's actually a coincidence that you came here; one of Poppy's friends just left!"</p><p>"Yeah, I always keep forgetting her name! DJ Sammy? DJ Suri?"</p><p>"DJ Suki, you mean? She was here?"</p><p>"Yeah, she left a while to head back to the village. For the record, we're saying "the village" because Bridget and I can't decide whether to say <em>Troll</em> Village or <em>Pop</em> Village."</p><p><em>So, she was here in Bergen Town the entire time? </em> <em>I honestly thought she was dead...</em></p><p>Glancing at him with an appalled glare, Harper smacked Archer in the arm and shook her head. The Party Crasher realized his mistake and bit his bottom lip, refraining from saying anything more idiotic or tasteless.</p><p>
  <em>Ugh. I really need to stop relying on black comedy...</em>
</p><hr/><p>Later that day, just as the night was begin to settle in, Trollex couldn't wait to get home any sooner. The conversation following the departure of young Pop Troll Keith (<em>That was his name, right?</em>) and the subsequent meeting took a turn for the extremely odd as it began wrapping up. As the Techno Trolls' leader began to take his leave earlier than expected, Barb's curiosity got the best of her and asked Trollex (thankfully in private) why he was heading back while the others stayed in Pop Village. He explained that because the process of reconstruction in Techno Reef was going smoother than he wished, he would head back to oversee the repairs in order to complete them more faster. Barb was a little disappointed by his response because she expected him to go out on a date. When he asked why, Barb froze and just...walked off. So, yeah, that was extremely odd. However, that got him thinking.</p><p>
  <em>What if the time for me to start courting a potential significant other came much sooner than later? I'm not ready for commitment yet. Sure, I did have a good couple of flings in the past, but that's exactly what they are and were: flings. Safe, meaningless, one-time relationships that went nowhere was the closest I've ever gotten to courting. The first time was a lesson to be learned, the second time was that same leason learned times two, and the other times...were just for fun. I'm a sucker when it comes to actual romance. Being royalty means being charming, but not sincere.</em>
</p><p>The thought of him breaking the heart of his significant other, intentionally or not, made Trollex depressed. The first couple of break-ups were amicable because they understood that being a king of a Troll territory had some repercussions, but the other times a seperation was involved, the date would blow up in his face at every equal opportunity. His attempts to console the girl in the immediate aftermath only made matters worse. He blamed himself for those later incidents, but he never gave hope that one day, his queen would come to him.</p><p>He just never expected that day would be today.</p><p>Trollex was heading in the direction of Techno Reef when his ears perked up at the sound of someone crying. Concern washed over him for a moment before he went off to locate the source. Just outside the forest was an averaged-sized Troll with hot pink skin; thick, bright orange hair held together with a light purple hair tie; and a pair of pink, blue, and white earphones (or were they <em>headphones</em>?) around her neck. She was curled up into a ball and, judging by her body shaking and sniffling, she was the one most definitely crying. He had to exercise caution when approaching her and asking for help. When he did get close enough to her, Trollex took a deep breath and popped the question...</p><p>"Um, excuse me-?"</p><p>
  <strong> <em>POP!</em> </strong>
</p><p>...just before the Troll popped him. Poor Trollex never got the chance to register what was happening next before her right fist collided with his left cheek. Landing on the ground and struggling to recover, he was suddenly restrained by the Troll sitting atop him with one hand on his neck and the other hand balled up into the same iron fist used to punch him the first time. On the wrists of both were three pairs of yellow, white, and pink bracelets.</p><p>"What?! What do you want?!"</p><p>Now up close and personal, Trollex got a much better look at her beyond her light pink eyes. To his surprise, her clothes were quite revealing, consisting of a striped top that was colored blue, purple, white, and yellow and matching trousers. They did nothing to hide the pink wishstone where her belly button was. His cheeks flushed at the close proximity which gave him a very clear examination of everything from her body structure to her gemmed navel. He didn't know what kind of Troll she was...but he knew a beautiful one when he saw one.</p><p>
  <em>Is she a Pop Troll...? </em>
</p><p>The Pop(?) Troll herself found her expression softening and, subsequently, her eyes widening in horror at the realization that she mindlessly attacked an innocent bystander. She released her hand from his neck, lowered her fist to his side, and began stammering in an attempt to give an apology.</p><p>"I... I... I... I'm... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."</p><p>Trollex merely smiled in understanding as he sat up, minding the weight of the Pop Troll sitting on top of him. "It's okay. You were just...acting on instinct?"</p><p>"I didn't hurt you that bad, right?"</p><p>"Nah, it's no big. I can take a punch or two."</p><p>"Again, I'm sorry for that."</p><p>"Again, it's no big. Although...I wouldn't mind more breathing room."</p><p>Her eyes widening again, this time in embarrassment, the Pop Troll immediately scrambled off him and stumbled over her words.</p><p>"Do you... Do you...need help getting up?"</p><p>"Yeah, sure. Much appreciated."</p><p>Nodding, she took his hand and pulled him up to his feet. Unfortunately, she pulled him far too fast and barely comprehended her face being buried into his chest; he was a few inches taller than her. Needless to say, the cheeks of both parties were both flushed rose red by this point in sheer awkwardness...and their hands were still joined together. Breaking away straight away (except not really), they began to profusely apologize to each other in unison.</p><p>"I'm..."</p><p>"Sorry..."</p><p>"No..."</p><p>"Don't..."</p><p>"Apologize..."</p><p>"I..."</p><p>"Was..."</p><p>"The..."</p><p>"One..."</p><p>"Who..."</p><p>The couple stopped speaking once they realized what they were doing before gently laughing to break the tension.</p><p>The Pop Troll broke the silence first, "Are you okay?"</p><p>"Yeah. Like I said, it's no big. I would say that you need to work on your form when punching someone."</p><p>"Sorry about that. You're actually the first Troll I've talked to for a while. Speaking of which, luminescent neon colors, heart chest symbols, fibre optic hair... Are you a Techno Troll?"</p><p>"Yes, I am. Keen eye for detail, I suppose?"</p><p>"You suppose correctly, but only when the occasion calls for it."</p><p>"Oh, trust me, it does. Keeping on the subject of keen eye for detail...something tells me you're a lost Troll."</p><p>"Ugh. Of course. How ever did you figure it?"</p><p>"Well, for starters, you're quite literally in the middle of nowhere with your Wooferbug. Secondly, you got defensive when I approached you and nailed me in my left cheek. And finally...you practically screamed in my face. Are all Pop Trolls this aggressive?"</p><p>"Aggressive? Yes. All of the Pop Trolls? No. Us Pop Trolls are fundamentally happy creatures, so...complaining does not come naturally to us. Even when things go wrong. And yes, I'm a lost Pop Troll."</p><p>"Well, why didn't you say so? Let's go."</p><p>She watched incredulously as Trollex float ahead of her.</p><p>"What? To where?"</p><p>"To my home, Techno Reef. Now before you protest, I would like to add a few things. One, I'm not a potential kidnapper in training. Two, I'm not here to potentially kidnap you and sell you off. And three, seeing as you have a Wooferbug in your possession, you're a DJ. If you come and stay with me for a while, I'll let you try out my DJ booth."</p><p>"Wait, you're a DJ too?"</p><p>"Of course. It's the primary skill us Techno Trolls learn in our infancy."</p><p>"And...you'll let me try out your DJ booth?"</p><p>"My <em>whole</em> DJ booth," Trollex smirked, knowing he had the <em>whole</em> advantage now.</p><p>At that, the Pop Troll smiled big and bright as she whistled for her Wooferbug. Chittering happily, it bent down so its owner could climb on top of her before flying. She snatched up Trollex and sat him down right in front of her. </p><p>"Well, why didn't <em>you</em> say so? Lead the way!"</p><p>"Glad of you to take up the offer... Um..."</p><p>"Oh, sorry. The name's Suki. DJ Suki."</p><p>"Trollex. King Trollex."</p><p>"Pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty."</p><p>"The pleasure's all mine, madame."</p><p>Trollex and Suki both exchanged smiles of warm sincerity, the moment of which going along for some time before she realized something.</p><p>"Wait a minute. Does this mean I just punched the King of the Techno Trolls, a member of royalty, in the face?"</p><p>Trollex chuckled in amused reassurance, "I'll let you make up for it. In the meantime, let's ride!"</p><p>With that, the Wooferbug took to the skies and flew off in the direction of Techno Reef, the whoops and cheers of both Suki and Trollex echoing in the skies.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>The tough and gruff-looking Troll counted the money for this week's shipment as his associates cleaned the weapons for next week's shipment. Once he was done, he split the 10 million coins amongst himself and his four associates, making for a total of 2 million coins each for the five of them. He was cold and calculating, but that didn't make him rotten to the core. He had a heart to prove it.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>BUZZZZ!</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Excuse me, DJ Luther?"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"This is he."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"You have a visitor downstairs."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Familiar or unfamiliar?"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Very familiar."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>His associates now shooting him intrigued looks, Luther waved them off and pressed the buzzer again with a growing smile.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Send her in."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>A few moments later, a female Troll stepped into the room, catching the attention of many a criminal. Her outfit consisted of a white blouse, a navy blue tailcoat with gold embroidery, tight black leather pants, matching biker boots with gold outsoles, a black-and-gold tricorn hat with royal blue feathers held up high, and a black-and-gold-handled sheathed saber attached to her black leather, gold-buckled belt. In terms of physical appearance, she had holographic fuzzy ruby skin, red hair that was parted to the right side and curled at the tips, sapphire blue eyes, pink sparkles on both cheeks, and two gold stud earrings on both ears. No doubt that this particular Troll was a pirate.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Ah! Captain! It's a pleasure to meet you again."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"After what happened last time, I highly doubt it."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"We just acted on instinct. I'll hand a proper apology later once we're done talking business."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"But of course. So..."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>The Pirate Troll took the seat in front of Luther and clamped her hands together, a smirk growing much like his own.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Let's talk business."</em> </strong>
</p><hr/><p>After a few hours, Trollex and Suki arrived at the outskirts of the former's homeland. They both hopped off the latter's Wooferbug and stared immensely at the ocean awaiting down below from the cliffside above.</p><p>"So what now?"</p><p>"Hold still," Trollex turned to the Wooferbug and proceeded to blow an air bubble that encompassed it. Now turning to Suki, he blew the same air bubble that only surrounded her head in a way that resembled an air kiss more than anything else. She wondered if she was just seeing things.</p><p>"Nice! Will we need this all the time, though?"</p><p>"Until we get to my place. Now...we should probably jump now should the effects of the air bubble last shorter."</p><p>"Jump? Wait, we're actually jumping off the cliff?!"</p><p>"Don't worry, it should be fine."</p><p>
  <em>"Should be...?"</em>
</p><p>Trollex chuckled in amusement before gliding over to take her hand, causing her and then him to blush in succession.</p><p>"Don't worry. I will be right here."</p><p>Suki glanced back and forth between Trollex and the cliffside before breaking into a wide smile. Pulling him along, they leapt off together as they screamed in surprised delight. Suki's Wooferbug joined them afterwards, but its descent was slightly slower than the other two. Both took the proper diving positions as they plummeted into the water below. Recovering from their hard fall, Suki and her Wooferbug (once they joined them) followed Trollex as he lead them to the heart of Techno Reef.</p><p>The sun began to set upon the gentle sea. The water sparkled in conjunction with the waves rising: graceful above, intact below. It became even more colorful with every passing mile underwater. Marine animals and aquatic fauna alike swam around happily as the night life commenced. As the moon took the sun's place as the main source of illumination, it shone upon a particularly bright location in the deep water. Heavily influenced by LED lights, macrame patterns, and fiber-optics, it was a land of family, love, and music.</p><p>Welcome to Techno Reef, home of the Techno Trolls.</p><p>
  <strong> <em>("<span class="u">The Rhythm Of The Night</span>" - Corona)</em> </strong>
</p><p>Despite a vast number of the citizens living in Pop Village for the time being, a sizable group stayed to party to the rhythm of the night. As the trio got closer, they spotted a magenta Techno Troll with magenta/purple hair and yellow eyes manning the controls of Trollex's DJ booth while singing along with the music.</p><p>"This is the rhythm of the night!" Bliss Marina jumped up and down as she lead the Techno Trolls in her own rave. When she spotted Trollex from far away, she gasped in delight and left just as the song ended, switching to a random EDM instrumental instead.</p><p>"Trollex!"</p><p>"Hey, Bliss!" Trollex handshaked and hugged his friend.</p><p>"What are you doing back here this early?"</p><p>'For two things. First, I came here to oversee reparations. Second, I'm giving a new friend a new place to stay for a while."</p><p>"New friend?" Bliss glanced over Trollex's shoulder and noticed Suki looking in awe at the ensuing rave, a smug smile growing on her face, "Oh! More like new girlfriend! She isn't like the last ones, eh?"</p><p>For quite possibly the third time tonight, Trollex blushed in embarrassment, "No, she's not my girlfriend, Bliss!"</p><p>"Uh-huh," Bliss jokingly replied in doubt, "Face it, Trollex. One of these days, you'll find a one that might end being <em>the</em> one."</p><p>Trollex turned back to see Suki getting lost in the rave, her head bopping to the beat of the music. </p><p>"Maybe..." Trollex sighed dreamily before catching himself, "...but not today. Once the rave is finished, we-"</p><p>"And by we, you mean I as in you..."</p><p>"... <em>We</em> have to give her a tour of the castle."</p><p>"Is she sleeping with you, then?"</p><p>"Yes-I mean, no! Maybe?"</p><p>"... So yes?"</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>"Yes..."</p><p>Bliss chuckled at her king's misfortune and patted him on the shoulder for reassurance. </p><p>
  <em>Man, Beat Drop would never let Trollex live this incident down.</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em>CJ Suki continued to experiment on a beat on her recording mixer that matched the musical tribute she had written. The song in question was a homage to her hero and idol who just happened to be her favorite aunt. The young Pop/Treasure Troll had admired her Aunt DJ for her encouraging and altruistic demeanor while also being the life of the party right beside the famous Guy Diamond, whom she said was a close friend of hers. Among her many friends, Princess (now Queen) Poppy was quite possibly the most prominent. They haven't been talking as much recently because Poppy had been so caught up in her royal responsibilities that she barely had enough to make time for friend time. Thankfully, Aunt DJ understood and she was grateful that CJ herself did as well.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Even so, CJ couldn't help but worry about her aunt, who seemed a little less cheerier when she and Poppy last met. She could tell when Aunt DJ would put on a happy face for her sake, making her feel guilty for whatever happened between the both of them. While she appreciated the idea of the both of them being a couple in desparate need of a relationship upgrade, she dismissed it seeing as the Queen already had a significant other in the form of Mr. Branch, the village survivalist. Instead, she opted for the classic "best friends had a fallout in desparate need of a friendship upgrade" dilemma. She needed help. She deserved to be happy. All of them did.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Suddenly, the lights in the pod went out all at once. Her blood running cold, CJ attempted to run off to a hiding spot but something grabbed her by the arm before she could do so. She screamed and shouted in protest, but the intruder sneered and violently threw her against the wall, knocking the wind out of her.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Ugh... What-what do you want-?"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>The young Troll felt a wet cloth pressed against her mouth and nose. Recognizing the faint yet sweet smell as choloform, the intruder flashing a sinister, fanged smile was the last thing she saw before she passed out...</em>
</p><hr/><p>Meadow Spriggs woke up to find herself still riding Growley Pete, who was pulling the wagon that contained her weapons and additional equipment. Somehow, he never seemed to be tired, and if he was, he did a darn good job of not showing it. Scratching her head, she glanced around to find themselves surrounded by areas of volcanos and molten lava.</p><p>"Umm... Growley Pete, where are we?"</p><p>"Growley, growley, growl," Growley Pete gestured to what stood in front of her. Turning to face it, Meadow's jaw jung agape at the sight of a volcano far bigger than the minor others standing in the far distance. Surrounding it were a sextet of black stereos and the face of a Rock Troll making the devil's horns gesture with both hands; lava flowed out where the head was supposed. This wasn't just a volcano.</p><p>It was a fortress.</p><p>"Huh," Meadow tilted her head in intrigue, "Volcano Rock City. The homeplace of Queen Barb."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> <em>"That's not music..."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"By the end of my world tour, we're all gonna have the same vibe. We're all gonna be one nation of Trolls...under Rock...!!!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Who's ready to Rock...?!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Who knew world domination could be so much fun...?"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Pop music isn't real music! It's bland! It's repetitive! The lyrics are empty! Worst of all, it crawls into your head like an earworm...!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"You don’t have to be embarrassed. I get it. Being queen can be kind of lonely. There’s all this pressure to be a great queen. And instead of real friends, you’re just surrounded by people who just tell you what you want to hear..."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Give it up for your former leaders: Funk, Country, Techno, Classical! And worst of all, Pop...!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"No... My strings... What have you done? You've destroyed music! Give it up, everybody. Thanks to the Queen of Pop, we've all lost our music. History repeats itself. Pop has ruined everything..."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Popsqueak? Are...are you okay?"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Popcorn, wake up! This isn't funny anymore!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Wake up, Poppy!!!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Poppy, wake up!!!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"NOOOOOO!!!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Barb screamed at the top of her lungs as she violently woke up from an equally violent nightmare. She began to breathe hard to the point of hyperventilation before she managed to calm herself down. Running her hands through her hair before burying her face into them, she proceeded to sob in equal parts sorrow and despair. Ever since the World Tour she put into action, Barb felt incredibly guilty and that guilt ate the back of her skull as she died slowly inside. Sure, Poppy forgave her and the entire Rock Troll Kingdom just like that, but it didn't mean the other kingdoms did. King Quincy and Queen Essence of the Funk Trolls were a little more forgiving, but Delta Dawn of the Country Trolls and Trollzart of the Classical Trolls had their reservations of her fully committing to becoming better; honestly, she couldn't blame them.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was Trollex, however, who worried Barb the most. Whenever Trollex would talk to her or Barb would talk to him, there was a underlying tension between the both of them, mostly consisting of tranquil fury harbored by the Techno King himself. He would often make snide remarks under his breath or speak with a threatening tone towards her. She also noticed the saddened look in his eyes, realizing that regret was fairly prominent in the tone of his comments. Once again, she couldn't blame him. Techno Reef was the first Troll kingdom she visited and attacked to acquire the Techno String. Because they were underwater, she assumed that everything the Techno Trolls built would be harder to rebuild, but the thought never occurred to her as she was caught up in her world tour to notice that the damage she had done. She came close to doing so when the Techno Trolls were already captured, a baby by the name of Coral Blush (according to his parents) crying in distress due to not understanding the severity of the situation he and the others were in. It turns out he was merely hungry, but it didn't make matters any better or change anything.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Rock Queen continued to cry into her hands as anger, sadness, and regret plagued her mental state.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Oh, oh, oh..."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Barb's ears perked up at the voice-no, the croon...</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Oh oh oh oh oh..."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Getting out of bed and snatching up a leather jacket as she went outside, Barb noticed that Pop Village was actually scarier when it was dark and quiet around night. With only the moon serving as her only source of illumination, the Rock Queen descended from her upstairs pod and followed the crooning to the village's edge. A few feet outside the limits, she spotted a Troll on her knees near the shore of a large lake, the source of the crooning. As she got closer, she couldn't help but notice this particular Troll sounded familiar and, when she turned around, looked familiar. She gasped in shock as the Troll made her identity known.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>("<span class="u">Into The Unknown</span>" - AURORA)</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>I can hear you but I won't</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Some look for trouble while others don't</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>There's a thousand reasons I should go about my day</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>And ignore your whisper which I wish would go away</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Barb was surprised to find herself as the siren caller. She looked...different, for lack of a better term. The second Barb had her signature mohawk colored with red, orange, yellow, and pink and her red eyes accompanied with blue eyeshadow. She wore a purple bandeau bikini with a pink heart as the central symbol surrounded by pink pixels; a pair of pink sleeves with top green lines, middle yellow lines, and bottom red lines; a yellow pixelated skirt with a green hem; and a pair of knee-high rainbow-colored leg warmers. It surprised her, it scared her, it sickened her, it...seduced her.</em>
</p><p><strong> <em>Ah ah, oh oh</em><br/></strong> <strong><em>Ah ah, oh oh</em> </strong></p><p>
  <em>Barb #2 stood up and walked past Barb #1, who looked on with an equal mix of confusion and intrigue. Barb watched as Barb plucked a red flower from the ground and hold it close to her heart, holding back tears of her own.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>You're not a voice</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>You're just a ringing in my ear</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>And if I heard you</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>I'm spoken for I fear</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Turning back to face the lake but not Barb, Barb then walked back towards it and past Barb, whose eyes now narrowed in slits. '<strong>Is she ignoring me on purpose...or can she not legitimately see me?</strong>'</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Everyone I've ever loved is here within these walls</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>I'm sorry, secret siren, but I'm blocking out your calls</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>I've had my adventure, I don't need something new</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>I'm afraid of what I'm risking if I follow you</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Barb watched as Barb began her slow descent into the lake, still holding the flower close to her. Not wanting Barb to drown, Barb immediately charged in after her, waddling as she descended.</em>
</p><p><strong> <em>Into the unknown</em><br/></strong> <em> <strong>Into the unknown</strong><br/><strong>Into the unknown</strong><br/></em></p><p>
  <em>When she was completely submerged, Barb watched on as a bright light engulfed Barb and transformed her into a Techno Troll, her shock drastically increasing.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Oh oh oh oh</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Oh oh oh oh</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>It was at this point in Barb's musical number that Barb seemed to notice and acknowledge Barb, much to Barb's surprise.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>What do you want? 'Cause you've been keeping me awake</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Are you here to distract me so I make a big mistake?</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Or are you someone out there who's a little bit like me?</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Who knows deep down I'm not where I'm really meant to be?</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>The remaining light that lingered tfrom Barb's transformation grew once more and flooded the lake with what appeared to be visions. Visions of events that had already transpired, and visions of events that have yet to come and pass. Most of these involved Barb herself, ranging from her childhood to her teenhood to her adulthood. There were also visions of different Barbs, ranging from a Pop Troll Barb to a Country Troll Barb to a Techno Troll Barb...much like the one singing to her at this very moment. </em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Every day's a little harder as I feel my power grow</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Don't you know there's part of me that longs to go...</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>However, another Troll shared an equal amount of prominence, but they were obscured by a silhouette. Judging by their posture and body language, the Troll appeared to belong to Pop.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Into the unknown?</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Into the unknown</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Into the unknown</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Barb watched as she pulled the Pop Troll into a loving embrace, her shock increasing tenfold.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Are you out there?</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Do you know me?</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Can you feel me?</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Can you show me?</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Barb tried to swim closer to Techno Barb, but one swim closer to Barb was one swim further from Barb.</em>
</p><p><strong> <em>Ah ah oh oh</em></strong><br/><strong> <em>Ah ah oh oh</em></strong><br/><strong> <em>Ah ah oh oh</em></strong><br/><strong> <em>Ah ah oh oh</em></strong><br/><strong> <em>Oh oh oh oh</em></strong><br/><strong> <em>Oh oh oh oh<br/></em></strong> <em> <strong>Oh oh oh oh</strong><br/><strong>Oh oh oh oh...</strong><br/></em></p><p>
  <em>Fortunately, Techno Barb seemed to get the hint and slow down to a stop long enough for Rock Barb to directly face her. Barb turned around to face Barb, whose eyes she gazed into for an uncomfortably long time. She held her face by the chin, worrying that she might kiss ker. Thankfully, she didn't, and instead opted for a prolonged eye gaze as if she were carefully observing her physical appearance.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Into the unknown</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Into the unknown</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Into the unknown...</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <em><strong>"Find us, Barb,"</strong> Techno Barb finally said.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"W-What?"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em><strong>"Find us, Barb,"</strong> Techno Barb repeated, <strong>"Find him."</strong></em>
</p><p>
  <em>Barb handed Barb the red flower she had plucked from the ground earlier, which was surprisingly still intact despite being underwater with them both.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Find who?"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"You'll know..."</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Into the unknown</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Into the unknown</em></strong>
  <br/>
  <strong> <em>Into the unknown...</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>As the light began to fade away, so did Techno Barb. But she didn't fade away more so than she simply floated further and further from Rock Barb, who watched on in stunned silence. The music also started to soften as she glanced down to the flower in her possession. How was any of this possible?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>'<strong>How am I still breathing-?</strong>'</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Suddenly, as if reality reared its ugly head at the worst moment, Barb began to choke on the water she was submerged in. As she swam back to the surface, she found that she was somehow near the bottom of the lake. Her panic hitting maximum overdrive, she proceeded to flail her arms in a futile attempt to ascend. She then cursed herself for not partaking in childhood swimming lessons as she began to lose consciousness...</em>
</p><p>
  <em>...and was pulled up to the surface soon after.</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>"Barb...?"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Barb...!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Barb!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"BARBARA!"</em> </strong>
</p><p>The Queen of Rock shot up from the bed she laid on far too fast and too furious, the blood rushing from her head in equal measure. A loud voice boomed from outside, attempting to silence a rowdy crowd and assauge their fears. <em>What were they afraid of?</em></p><p>"Ouch..."</p><p>"Queen Barb?"</p><p>Despite the pain, her head shot up toward the source of the voice, a Pop Troll donning a white coat above navy blue scrubs. As such, it was a safe bet to make that she worked in the hospital, where she was presumably was at the moment. The Pop Troll herself had light purple skin, dark purple eyes, and pale green hair with purple plasters stuck on it.</p><p>"Thank Goodness you're awake," The Pop Troll Doctor pulled a flashlight from her coat and turned it on, shining it into Barb's now shrunken pupils, "Say something if you can understand me."</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>"Something if you can understand me," Barb finally replied, prompting a giggle from the doctor.</p><p>"Okay, that was good. Do you know who I am?"</p><p>Barb opened her mouth to say no, but the doctor stopped her with a wave of her right hand; she used her left hand to write details on a clipboard.</p><p>"Wait, don't answer that question. That was a stupid one, even if it was rhetorical. If you actually don't know, that's okay. My name is Dr. Plum Plimsy, and I am a doctor-in-training assigned to you until the patient, which is you, wakes up. Specfically for the doctor part, I'm just an apprentice of Dr. Moonbloom, who you probably can hear yelling at the crowd outside to calm down."</p><p>"Uh...that's calming them down?"</p><p>"Not really, but I don't question it. However, I, on the other hand, have a few questions for you. The first one is... How do you feel?"</p><p>"Tired...and wet. What happened to me?"</p><p>"Do you not remember? Not that I'm being accusatory or nothing, but...you don't remember being pulled out of the lake?"</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>"The lake?"</p><p>"Yes. The K-Pop Gang saw you descending into the lake and followed you there. When you didn't ascend, they warned Sheriff Delta Dawn, who led a rescue effort. Plus, you...kinda died."</p><p>"W-What?"</p><p>"Oh, no, no, no, no. I said <em>kinda</em>. Being underwater for that long ensured your drowning and we had to resuscitate you as a result."</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>"I'm not freaking you out, am I?"</p><p>"No, of course. Thanks for bringing me up to speed...and possibly traumatizing me for about a month and a half."</p><p>"Oh, I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but it's my job as your doctor to inform you of any injuries, fatal or not, you may have or have acquired. Fortunately, we managed to save your life within a hair's breadth."</p><p>Throughout the conversation, Dr. Plum made notes on Barb's appearance and condition.</p><p>"What were you doing in the lake anyway? I mean, I won't pressure you if you don't want to answer."</p><p>"It's okay. I..."</p><p>Barb became hesitant to respond now due to not being familiar enough with Dr. Plum to confide secrets with yet. But she was a doctor doing her job, which was to help her with any injuries she had or may have acquired. Any physical injuries, anyway. How would she react to those <em>psychologically</em> related?</p><p>"I had a vision."</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>"I beg your pardon?"</p><p>"A vision...but it felt more like a dream."</p><p>"Go on."</p><p>"I heard this voice...calling for me. It turns out it was me...well, a Techno version of me. You should've seen me. I was a Mer-Troll with a tail and fiber hair. And I dressed skimpier than I usually do. And...I was happy. Not like Poppy levels of happy, but happy regardless. There was more...err, more versions of me. I was a Pop Troll, I was a Country Troll, and the list goes on. But believe it or not, that's not the strangest part. There was this other Troll, I think they were Pop. They... I couldn't see them because they were some kind of a shadow. But I seemed very happy when I saw and/or spent my time with them. Then Techno Me told me to...find them. Find the Troll I was with. I don't know why, but I assumed it was important. But...that sounds crazy, doesn't it?"</p><p>To Barb's surprise, Dr. Plum merely chuckled and shook her head.</p><p>"Not really. I've heard stranger. You see, there was this patient Dr. Moonbloom used to treat who had a blueprint for their child's significant other and their life with that significant other. Boy meets girl, boy screws up, boy loses girl, boy redeems up, boy wins girl again, boy divorces girl, boy meets new girl, and boy is satisfied with new girl until the very end."</p><p>"Huh," Barb blankly stated, "That is strange...and a little creepy. So, the parent's idea of their child's fantasy love life involves divorce?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah, but it would be amicable. The point is..." Dr. Plum abruptly switched to the more important topic, "Your dream or vision, based on your preference, is strange, but that's okay. As for the alternate versions of you, I think they represent parts of you that require embracing. You need to learn more about them."</p><p>"And how am I supposed to learn more about them in a time like this?" Barb rubbed her head. "I have my people to look after."</p><p>"Well, I wouldn't worry. Poppy's done a great job with the other Trolls thus far."</p><p>"Yeah, but...it's Poppy."</p><p>"So? Poppy is one of the most kindhearted and understanding Trolls currently living...well, aside from the fact she tried to kill a fellow Troll."</p><p>
  <em>. . .</em>
</p><p>"She what?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah. She told me that a fellow Troll betrayed them all to the Bergens when they were still evil. She didn't say who, but I can assume he or she is probably regretting their choice right now. Plus, they're long gone and the Bergens are good now."</p><p>Barb had absolutely no idea who or what a Bergen was, so she merely nodded.</p><p>"Aside from that happy accident, Poppy will understand your situation and even help you."</p><p>"Okay, but I don't want her to help me. Not yet, anyway. Do you have a-?"</p><p>"Yeah, sure," Dr. Plum pulled a notepad with a ballpoint pen in its spiral out of her hair, handing it over to a surprised Barb.</p><p>"How did you know what I was going to ask for?"</p><p>"It's a sixth sense I have."</p><p>Barb took the notebook and used the pen to jot down notes revolving around her vision (<em>or was it a dream?</em>) while Dr. Plum herself jotted down notes revolving around the Rock Queen's condition. She would admit that her vision (<em>or was it a dream?</em>) did sound a bit sketchy, but she chalked it down to immense guilt following her world tour to destroy all music as told by Queen Poppy. Even though she didn't delve into detail, Plum understood her Queen's words and that Barb needed to be feel comfortable as much as she needed to lessen some of the regret she felt. Forgiveness was a virtue amongst the Trolls in Troll Village (or <em>Pop</em> Village, whatever it was called now), but she knew Barb's (and, by extension, the rest of the Rock Trolls') had to be amongst earned. Poppy, Branch, the tribe leaders, and Plum were among the easy ones, as they knew that the sheer power of the strings was not to be resisted; the village denizens, on the other hand, needed more convincing.</p><p>"Okay," Barb reviewed the notes, "Do you think I should still pursue my vision further?"</p><p>"It's your decision, Queen Barb," Dr. Plum reassured her, "but I still think you should to put your worries to rest much sooner than later."</p><p>Glancing back and forth between Dr. Plum and her notes, Barb eventually nodded in resolution.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>CJ woke up to find herself in a darkened cell covered in chains...and nothing else. Horrified to find her body stripped of her clothing, she glanced around to find nobody else around. Nobody...except the skeleton of a Pop Troll no older than her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A short gasp of terror escaping her, CJ clamped her hands over her mouth and wondered if the Bergens had reverted back to their old ways again. Little did she know, it was far worse than she could've imagined.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A few doors down, the furthest opened and a masked assaliant made their way to the cell CJ was being helded in, slowing down just in front of it. Turning to face the frightened Pop Troll in question, the figure merely smirked underneath their hood.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>"Well, well... It seems that the prisoner has awakened..."</em> </strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>